§ 108A-55.5.  Eligibility monitoring for medical assistance.

(a) On at least a quarterly basis, the Department shall review information concerning changes in circumstances that may affect medical assistance beneficiaries' eligibility to receive medical assistance benefits. The Department shall share the information directly with, or make the information available to, the county department of social services that determined the beneficiary's eligibility.

(b) The information reviewed by the Department shall include all of the following:

(1) Earned and unearned income.

(2) Employment status and changes in employment.

(3) Residency status.

(4) Enrollment status in other State-administered public assistance programs.

(5) Financial resources.

(6) Incarceration status.

(7) Death records.

(8) Lottery winnings.

(9) Enrollment status in public assistance programs outside of this State.

(c) A county department of social services shall promptly review the information provided or made available by the Department in accordance with subsection (a) of this section to determine if the information indicates a change in circumstances that may affect a medical assistance beneficiary's eligibility to receive medical assistance benefits and take one of the following actions:

(1) If a review of the information does not result in the county department of social services finding a discrepancy or change in a beneficiary's circumstances that may affect that beneficiary's eligibility to receive medical assistance benefits, the county department of social services shall take no further action.

(2) If a review of the information does result in the county department of social services finding a discrepancy or change in a beneficiary's circumstances that may affect that beneficiary's eligibility for medical assistance benefits, the county department of social services shall provide written notice to the beneficiary that describes in sufficient detail the circumstances of the discrepancy or change in circumstances that would affect the beneficiary's eligibility for medical assistance benefits. The notice must include the following information:

a. The beneficiary will have 12 calendar days from the time of mailing to respond.

b. A response from the beneficiary must be in writing.

c. Self-declarations made by the beneficiary will not be accepted as verification of information in the response.

d. The consequences of taking no action.

(d) After the expiration of 12 calendar days from the time of mailing the notice required under subsection (c) of this section, the county department of social services shall take one of the following actions:

(1) If a beneficiary did not respond to the notice, the county department of social services shall redetermine the beneficiary's eligibility for medical assistance benefits and provide the beneficiary with proper notice under G.S. 108A-79.

(2) If a beneficiary responds to the notice and disagrees with the information in the notice, the county department of social services shall reinvestigate the matter and take one of the following actions:

a. If the county department of social services determines that there has been an error and the beneficiary's eligibility to receive medical assistance benefits is not affected, then no further action shall be taken.

b. If the county department of social services determines that there is no error, the county department of social services shall redetermine the beneficiary's eligibility for medical assistance benefits and provide the beneficiary with proper notice under G.S. 108A-79.

(3) If a beneficiary responds to the notice and confirms the information in the notice is correct, then the county department of social services shall redetermine the beneficiary's eligibility for medical assistance benefits and provide the beneficiary with proper notice under G.S. 108A-79.

If, at any time after receiving a beneficiary's response to the notice, the county department of social services determines that there is a risk of fraud or misrepresentation or inadequate documentation, then the county department of social services may request additional documentation from the beneficiary.

(e) Nothing in this section shall preclude the Department or any county department of social services from receiving or reviewing additional information related to a beneficiary's eligibility for medical assistance benefits that is obtained in a manner other than that provided for under this section. (2017-57, s. 11H.20(a).)